Robert Pattinson Refused To ‘Pleasure A Dog’ For New Film And PETA Praised Him For It

Animal rights group PETA has commended Robert Pattinson for refusing to perform a sexual act on a dog; a deed which the group likened to “child molestation.” The 31-year-old actor talked about the particular scene for his upcoming indie film, Good Times, when he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

In the film, Pattinson plays the role of a New Yorker who will do anything to save his brother, even if it means robbing banks. Since his character, Connie, also has an affinity for dogs, one scene involved a drug dealer bursting into his room and seeing him performing a sexual act on a dog.

“He thinks he is a dog in a previous life and he thinks he has control over animals and stuff,” explained Pattinson.

The Water for Elephants actor laughed when he told the story to Kimmel. He said the “director was like, ‘Just do it for real, man! Don’t be a p–!’ And then the dog’s owner was like, ‘Well, he’s a breeder, I mean, you can.’ He’s like, ‘You just gotta massage the inside of his thighs.'”

They ended up faking the scene with a prosthetic, but the clip was ultimately removed from the film’s final cut. Pattinson said that it would appear on the DVD extras. For his small-time criminal role, he also had to film on the streets of New York. The British actor sported pock marks on his skin as a disguise, and he claimed that no one recognized him.

Following Pattinson’s interview, PETA’s senior vice president, Lisa Lange, lauded him for his objection. In a statement provided to Gossip Cop, Lange called Pattinson as their “kind of guy.”

“Robert Pattinson is our kind of guy (and everyone’s who has a heart) for refusing to masturbate a dog — which is like child molestation — and for talking about it so that the public can see that once again animal trainers’ top priority is money and animals’ interests and well-being are often ignored.”

PETA further said that they’re investigating if the film broke any law. Good Things, which garnered a six-minute standing ovation from the Cannes Film Festival audience, will hit theater screens on Aug. 11.

After finishing The Twilight Saga in 2012, Pattinson has opted to work on indie films such as Maps to the Stars, The Lost City of Z, and Queen of the Desert.

[Image by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for People.com]

Pattinson recently confirmed that he’s “kind of ” engaged to songstress FKA Twigs. However, he admits feeling the need to keep things private because of Twilight fans who continue to hound him. When news about the couple broke out in 2014, Twigs had to deal with racist attacks.